Hidden Jade

Hidden Jade is a stunning waterfront restaurant in Albert Park perfect for indulging in Chinese cuisine and fine wine.

Opened in February 2016, Hidden Jade is the first Melbourne venture for Sydney’s Red Chilli Group. Keeping in line with Red Chilli Group’s Sydney restaurants, Hidden Jade offers traditional Sichuan cuisine and made to order Yum Cha. The menu reflects different parts of Chinese culture, allowing diners insight and a comprehensive taste of China.

From succulent Tea smoked duck to the chef's special fiery hot pot fish, Hidden Jade is a traditional Chinese restaurant that offers impressive formal dining.

The Albert Park waterfront location affords patrons with panoramic views of the Albert Park lake, ensuring a unique and memorable dining experience exploring the different regions of China.

Our dinner commenced with Mr Chan's special cured pork platter - a wonderful amalgamation of traditional Sichuan cured meats and sausages. We loved the flavour-laden meats that were succulently seasoned to perfection.

To follow, a refreshing plate of celtuce salad with onion oil graced our presence. We loved the beautifully crunchy texture of the celtuce and its fresh and slightly sweet taste combined with heady onion oil. It was simple but beautifully so.

For mains, we fell in love with the tea smoked duck. It only takes one bite of Hidden Jade's tea smoked duck to understand why it has become one of the restaurant’s signature dishes.  Simply put, the dish is all about the duck’s thin crispy skin – achieved through a rigorous process of drying and roasting the duck. The tender duck meat, although delicious, plays an ancillary role in this affair with the moreish duck skin taking centre stage with its beautiful smoky tea flavour. Along with the hoisin sauce mixture and fluffy butterfly shaped steamed buns, this dish is sensational and a definite must try.

Similarly delicious, the dish of kung pao prawns with rice crackers was one of our favourite dishes from our evening at Hidden Jade. The lusciousness of the prawns beggared belief. Richly flavoured by aromatic garlic and Sichuan spices, this dish boasted the characteristic charred flavour that normally accompanies wok-tossed items.

The hot pot fish fillets (another Chef's Special) continued the trend of delicious dishes. Melt in your mouth slices of wonderfully fresh fish arrived in a glorious golden hot pot of chilli and Doubanjiang based broth. Simply wonderful.

Our savoury courses concluded on a luxurious note with baby abalone in chicken broth and rice. The baby abalone was cooked to perfection - tender and buttery with a natural salinity. Together with fluffy rice, this was comfort food at its best.

To finish, given our visit coincided with the last day of Chinese New Year, we enjoyed Chinese New Year sweet dumplings. We loved these gooey textured glutinous rice cakes which were some of the best we have sampled.  

With attentive staff, expert chefs and an impressive wine list, Hidden Jade raises the bar in Chinese cuisine.

Location: Aquatic Dr, Albert Park
Phone: (03) 9682 5566
Link: www.hiddenjade.com.au/